


Tongue-Tied

by Amaranthinne



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Canon Compliant, During Canon, F/M, Final Fantasy VII Remake Spoilers, Inner Dialogue, Let Cloud be happy, Pining, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Soft Cloud Strife, This is all just fluff, Wall Market (Compilation of FFVII), please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaranthinne/pseuds/Amaranthinne
Summary: It's not too often that Cloud Strife is at a loss for words, but when he is, it's always because of her.Happy Aerith Week!!
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	Tongue-Tied

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very favorite scene in the whole game. It's just not often you get to see Cloud at a loss for words, and I feel like it provides really wonderful insight into who he is as a character and how he feels about Aerith. So this is just a little character study on Cloud at that moment he sees Aerith at the Wall Market in her red dress!!
> 
> This little ficlet is also inspired by Ricky Montgomery's _Line Without a Hook_ which is one of my favorite songs right now! So if you haven't listened to it, I 10/10 recommend. 
> 
> -Amaranth

The fireworks bursting overhead do little to ease Cloud’s mounting apprehension. He detests the whole situation as it is: Tifa even going to Corneo’s audition in the first place, and not to mention that Aerith is alone in the seedy underbelly that is the Wall Market. Well, she’s supposed to be getting a message from Johnny telling her to stay put, but that doesn’t really make him feel any better. Cloud also knows that Aerith is more than capable of handling herself. He’s seen her hold her own alongside him more times than he can count, but that doesn’t make him any less hell-bent on protecting her. 

Maybe it’s because she was so insistent on him being her bodyguard. Which made sense to Cloud at first, until he saw how she could fight. Even then, though, maybe it’s just that loyal part of him that insists on sticking around until the job is done. Cloud scoffs aloud, which draws looks from some passersby. Who is he even kidding? He wants her company just as much as she wants his. There’s just something otherworldly about Aerith that draws Cloud in every damn time. She’s electric. 

Even after she gave him that flower in Sector 8, he couldn’t stop thinking about her for _days._ He’d given the flower to Tifa for decor at Seventh Heaven, but then he’d sit at the bar, take one glance at the flower, and there she was again. Tifa knew, of course. Tifa is smart like that. She never made him feel embarrassed about it, but she knew there was someone, no matter how many times he denied it.

He had secretly been relieved when Aerith snuck out ahead of him to escort him back to Sector 7. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have found the way back on his own, but rather he _wanted_ her company. He wasn’t fully prepared to let her go at Elmyra’s wishes, but because Elmyra reminded him of his own mother in a way, he would have anyway. But he didn’t have to, and he got to indulge in her magnetic company for a while longer. 

… And now they’re here. 

He should have stopped her from insisting on the audition, that they’d find some other way, somehow, but Aerith was persistent and worked her magic on him the way only she can. As begrudgingly as Cloud accepted that Aerith was not going to back down, he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t curious about how she would look. 

For some reason, he couldn’t picture it. 

He could picture Tifa in some Corneo-worthy outfit, with lots of silk and a deep plunging neckline. Maybe it was the result of childish lust leftover from his longstanding infatuation with her while growing up.

With Aerith, though, he really just couldn’t picture it. Cloud thought she was already pretty. He’d even go as far as to say she was beautiful. She just didn’t need anything extra. Not to him, at least. 

Another firework bursts overhead, bringing Cloud out of his thoughts. He’s not sure how long he’s been distracted for, which panics him for a moment. Johnny still isn’t back saying Aerith got his message, which leads him to wonder if something happened to him on his way back. His hand instinctively goes to the Buster Sword on his back to start pushing through the swarm of people, but he sees Johnny’s head crest over the curve of the bridge. His hand drops back to his side, confused. A swarm of excited Wall Market residents is crowded around Johnny which is… strange. 

Johnny is also holding a red carpet which is doubly strange. As he rolls it out across the bridge and steps aside, Cloud literally feels his heart skip a beat. He hopes no one can see it on his face.

He could pass it off as a surprise seeing Aerith there, but truthfully he feels like she’s just drawn all the breath from his chest in one blow. She’s _magnificent._ If Cloud doesn’t think he can be felled anymore, she looks into his eyes and he almost feels like he needs to sit down. Another round of fireworks explodes overhead, bathing her in glittering greens, blues, and reds.

She starts to cross the bridge that leads to Cloud but seems hesitant. It’s clear that she’s never been in a gown as fine as that which she’s wearing and is not used to the attention it brings. She holds herself, however, with quiet confidence and a smile catches on her lips when she sees Cloud at the other end. She takes each step carefully, trying not to tread on the crimson ruffles that cascade around her feet in all directions. 

Her hair, normally so demurely styled, is fashioned into a mess of curls that fall down her back and shoulders. It’s twined with red ribbons and floral pins keeping it in place. After what seems like forever, Aerith reaches the end of the red carpet and melts back into the cheerful yet reserved nature that Cloud knows of her. “Heya.”

Cloud’s voice comes out much thinner than he wanted it to. “That’s really…” _Holy shit, Strife! Get it together!_ Cloud can’t remember the last time he was this tongue-tied.

Aerith wears an expression he’s never seen on her face and he knows she knows how dazed he is by her grin. Some part of him, the romantic part that is buried way deep down there, hopes she thinks it’s endearing. “Yeah.” She grins and looks down at the dress, which hugs her body until the ruffles take over and feather out on the ground around her feet. 

She says something next, but Cloud can’t really hear her through the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. She seems happy. That’s good. He’s glad. He sees her mouth stop moving and he blinks a few times before responding safely with “Y-yeah.” Cloud cannot believe how poorly his cool demeanor is holding up. So much for being the unbothered merc. He’s not sure how long he stands there wordlessly.

“Cloud!” Aerith says earnestly, moving a few steps closer to him. He wants to give her a compliment. He’s been _thinking_ compliments about her all evening, but when it comes time for his mouth to form the words they don’t come. Cloud tries to convince himself he just can’t choose one that will do her justice. He can smell the perfume she’s wearing and it distracts him from any and all other thoughts, and mumbles out a quick, “Excuse me.”

Aerith smiles as another shimmer of color sparkles against her skin. Cloud forgets about Tifa for a moment, and about Corneo, and the audition and the danger Aerith is about to step into. It’s refreshing. It’s nice. And he hopes that one day, maybe once he’s done with Avalanche and the mercenary work, he can settle down and live a quiet life. Maybe with Aerith. She can teach him how to talk to the flowers, who could perhaps teach him how to compliment her the way she deserves to be complimented. Yeah. Maybe one day.

**Author's Note:**

> Soft Cloud is my favorite Cloud. And, as always, if you enjoyed what you read please feel free to leave a kudos or a comment! They always make my day :)
> 
> -Amaranth


End file.
